A Taiwanese fishing boat and its eight crew members have been released after being detained by Japanese authorities. The Suao District Fishermen's Association said on Tuesday that the crew and boat were allowed to return to Taiwan after the captain's family paid a deposit of 1.5 million yen (USD$9700).
The boat "Fu Shen" from Suao, Yilan County, was boarded and detained by a Japanese government vessel on Sunday. According to Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency, the Japanese authorities inspected the Fu Shen at 4:10 p.m. about 40 nautical miles from Suao and 5 nautical miles outside the protected fishing zone. The agency, along with Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, negotiated with the Japanese authorities, who suspected the boat of operating in Japanese territorial waters.
After the deposit was made on Monday, the crew and boat were freed. The Fu Shen departed from Ishigaki Island at 9 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to return to Nanfang'ao Fishing Port. The exact cause of the incident will be further clarified upon the crew's return.